While Brian Kerr has an enviable record since taking over as Ireland manager, signs of discontent are lurking beneath the surface. How long can he maintain the equilibrium, asks John OBrien

An honourable draw with the world champions followed by a thoroughly merited 2-1 victory against the world’s sixth-ranked team. Thirteen matches played: eight won and four drawn. The aura surrounding the Irish national team should be joyful and unambiguous yet scratch a little under the surface and all is not perfect in the reign of Brian Kerr.

It isn’t that the symptoms are major or catastrophic. When Stephen Carr left the team hotel on Tuesday evening, after picking up the knee injury that ruled him out of Wednesday’s game against the Czech Republic, a whisper that the Tottenham defender had fallen out with Kerr was aired and floated on a light breeze. But the evidence to support such a claim was thin on the ground.

That Carr was injured isn’t open to question. On Tuesday he was examined by the team doctor, Alan Byrne, and the physio, Ciaran Murray, and